Obie,
Thanks for your question.
Sure you can certainly use the 7th fret barre D chord if you want.
But you’re correct, there’s certain songs where that would be a pretty big jump to get all the way up the 7th fret and back down quickly.
A couple other D chords to try (starting with the easiest).
1. One finger D chord (2nd fret/3rd string) commonly used in a lot of lead songs. You can let the “band” play the rest of the chord.
2. Two finger D chord (2nd fret/3rd string and 3rd fret/2nd string). This is another one I use a lot. Much easier to play than a 4 finger D chord but still works great for most songs.
3. Three finger D chord. (Same as 2 finger D but add your pinky on 4th fret/1st string). This is another one you can do if you feel that adding your 4th finger makes the D chord more difficult.
If you have any other questions let me know. Thanks!
Best,
Mike